An Uncertain Valentine
by chartreuseian
Summary: It's the first time they've actually been obligated to celebrate the day together but, after a little 'boy talk' someone's feeling much less sure of himself. Beware the rating my pretties...


**Happy Single's Awareness Day everyone! I hope you gorged yourself on chocolate and received many a wilted rose from the supermarket :P But, just in case you didn't get to celebrate today in style, here's some Teslen lovin' to cheer you up. This could be a sequel to my Christmas/New Year's fics because it is an established relationship set in the new Sanctuary or it could be a sequel to 'Letters To The Past' if you wanted to view it that way. Hell, at a stretch, it could maybe be a nice little tack on to 'Forget Me Not' though there is an epilogue coming for that one too so maybe not... But yes, Teslen smexyness ahoy!**

**Much love to the bestest Valentine ever, Emmy1512 for beta-ing this for me. **

**Hope y'all enjoy it!**

**xx**

* * *

><p>"So what are you and Erica doing for today?" Will asked Henry as the two finished off their breakfast.<p>

"Picnic by the waterfall," he replied between mouthfuls of toast. "Doc said we could take the whole day so after that I've got a stack of those old black and white movies she loves plus some of the really good Chinese takeout from the surface for dinner and then..." He trailed off, grinning wolfishly at Will. "What about you and Abby?"

"She's gotta work," Will admitted with a sigh. "But I'm picking her up from her apartment at 7 and Magnus let me make a reservation under her name at Alfredo's."

"That's explains why she wouldn't let me make a reservation," Henry replied, grabbing his plate and heading to the sink. "When did you ask?"

"Shortly after New Year's," Will admitted. "You?"

"About a week ago."

"Early bird get's the worm," Will quipped with a laugh and Henry rolled his eyes.

"If the pair of you think this is early then I haven't a clue how Helen has put up with your lazy work habits all this time," Nikola remarked as he strolled into the kitchen, empty wine glass in hand.

"Morning to you too Vlad," Henry grumbled, turning to give the man a cautious look.

"It's not our fault that we actually need to sleep," Will added, crossing his arms. "Plus I didn't see you up to help with the 3am feedings"

"I was otherwise occupied," Nikola replied with a lewd grin and Henry groaned.

"I know, you kept me and Erica awake all night," Henry whined, causing Nikola's grin to widen.

"It's hardly my fault that darling Helen likes to praise me at the top of her lungs."

Will pulled a face at that but Henry scoffed.

"If anything, it's the other way around," he advised, smirking. "Oh Helen, yes, like that, yeah, more, oh God, YES! Helen! More! OH GOD YES!"

Will sniggered as Nikola growled, eyes darkening at the far too accurate impression but Henry just smiled.

"Are you quite finished or would you like me to demonstrate just how breakable your bones are?" Nikola growled menacingly.

"But I didn't think your rooms were on the same floor as them?" Will asked Henry, frowning in confusion.

"They aren't," Henry said, pulling a face. "But still, every night without fail we hear them."

"Just because you don't have to sleep doesn't mean you can't use a bedroom," Will remarked and Nikola smirked.

"Ah, to be so young and unadventurous," he almost sneered. "Perhaps if Blondie wasn't so straight laced..."

"O.K, I am so not discussing my sex life with you," Will replied quickly, holding up his hands in defeat.

"Yeah, totally with you on that one," Henry added, shaking his head.

"Prudes," Nikola muttered under his breath, turning to the nearest of the pantry doors and rifling through the contents.

"Hey, here's a question though, what are you getting the Doc for Valentine's Day?" Henry asked after a second, hip against the counter.

"None of your business," Nikola threw over his shoulder, not leaving his post by the pantry.

"Aw c'mon," Henry pleaded. "At least tell us what you've got planned so we know which rooms to avoid all day."

"He's got a point Tesla," Will added, now curious. "I mean, I highly doubt you want one of us barging in on you guys today of all days."

"Barge into whichever room you like concubine," Nikola replied, straightening up with a bottle of wine in his hand. "We aren't doing anything."

"WHAT?" both men asked in unison, making the vampire scowl.

"Love shouldn't require a day set aside to remind us to show our appreciation for someone, "he chastised. "Plus Valentine's Day is a commercial scheme that completely ignores tradition in favour of tacky displays of disgusting chocolate and half dead flowers."

"You mean to tell me, that on your very first Valentine's Day with Magnus, you aren't gonna get her anything?" Henry asked sceptically.

"Well, I didn't say that," Nikola said, frowning. He reached into his suit pocket and withdrew a piece of paper, waving at them.

"A letter?" Will asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A Valentine," Nikola corrected, sighing in exasperation. "You are meant to ask a woman to be your Valentine before rushing straight into a bit of bump and grind in fancy lingerie."

Henry and Will both shared a look before looking back to the grumpy man before them.

"So you what? Wrote her a poem?" Henry asked looking at the thick envelope sealed with bright red wax.

"No," Nikola sneered, something flashing across his face before he began to fiddle with the wine bottle. "I... Well, what did you two get then?"

"Jewellery," the answered in tandem, shrugging as if to say what else and Nikola shuddered, preparing to give them a lecture on the lurking dangers of germs but Will cut him off.

"You never answered the question," he pointed out. "What's in the envelope?"

"I made her a Valentine."

There was a beat where both men tried to establish if he was being serious or not before they broke out into peals of laughter.

"You? Nikola I'm-a-big-scary-vampire-incapable-of-emotion Tesla _made_ Magnus a Valentine?" Henry asked breathlessly.

Growling, Nikola turned on his heel and stalked from the room before he could do as much damage to the two men as he'd have liked. Helen most certainly wouldn't have appreciated that plus the HAP girlfriend might come after him if she lost her baby daddy.

But how dare they? How dare they make fun of what was a far more traditional way to celebrate a holiday he and Helen had always loathed? True they'd never spent a Valentine's Day together in the context they now enjoyed but surely she hadn't changed that much, had she? Nikola slowed his pace through the impressive halls of the new Sanctuary, suddenly second guessing himself. Perhaps his plan was silly, perhaps Helen wanted him to purchase the biggest bunch of flowers she'd ever see and ply her with chocolates all day?

He hadn't seen her that morning, having awoken (not unusually) to an empty bed but he'd assumed she'd simply gone off to the meeting she'd been worried about. What if she was actually just waiting in her office for him to come in and sweep her away for a romantic lunch somewhere? What if she was just waiting to receive all the wondrous gifts he was supposed to have bought her? Suddenly his handmade gift didn't seem quite enough.

Changing course, Nikola headed straight for their bedroom, the one he'd barged into on the first night there telling her to move over or get naked (she, of course, had done both). Maybe she was lying on the bed, sumptuously naked and waiting for him? By now she'd be terribly upset and would no doubt refuse any and all advances he made.

Throwing open the door, a thousand excuses on his tongue only to find the bed just as neatly made as when he'd left barely an hour ago. Brow furrowing, he looked around, both pleased and confused that nothing was out of place. Her robe was hung neatly by the door, his battered old notebook on one bedside table and her weather copy of something he'd given her very little chance to read on the other. And yes, curled delicately next to an old photo frame were the silk scarves she'd tortured him with last night after the finally made it back to bed.

Sighing, Nikola turned on his heel, unsure of what to do now. So much for a simple day.

Making sure to close the door behind him, he walked back out into the corridor, weighing up the pros and cons of heading straight to her office. What if she was working and took his request for 'hanky panky' the wrong way? Or what if she was only pretending to work and got frustrated that it had taken him so long to figure out?

Slowly he walked towards the elevator, ready to face the music yet still trying to figure out if maybe he should duck into her private gardens and snag a rose or two.

By the time he reached the right corridor, he still couldn't decide and, for some reason his palms were beginning to itch just as they did when he was a child and nervous.

He paused by the door, hoping like hell she wasn't there. He'd rather keep searching than have to see that gleam of disappointment in her eye when she realised the man who'd made several promises to never, ever let her down again, forgot how to court a woman and neglected to get her anything for the one romantic holiday that wasn't their anniversary (which they still hadn't decided on because she argued it was the day she kissed him and he that it was the day they met). But no, through the thick oak door he could hear her talking into what he assumed was her phone. Better than nothing he decided, tucking the handmade Valentine into his pocket.

Slowly he opened the door, peaking around with a tentative smile. She looked up from her desk and smiled at him, gesturing for him to come into the room. Carefully he did so, pleased that no glares had been directed at him yet. She continued to chatter away into the phone cradled to her ear, eyes never leaving his as he approached her desk. He darted forwards to press a kiss to her cheek before grabbing a pen from her desk.

_Gardens at four?_ He scrawled. She smiled and nodded before turning her attention back to whoever was on the phone.

_Happy Valentine's Day_ he added, deciding he may as well start grovelling now. She gave him a peculiar look but raised a hand to his cheek, stroking a thumb over his cheek bone tenderly. He smiled at the action, enjoying the touch that she normally reserved for when they were completely alone. Unable to resist her pretty pink lips, he leant forwards, kissing her deeply for a long moment. She responded quickly, slipping her hand back to cradle his head. Only when a distressed and tiny voice made itself known did he pull back, enjoying the far off look in her eyes.

Coughing, she shot him an accusing glare, lips twitching up in a smile before she made some kind of half hearted apology to whichever poor sap had just listened to them make out. He waved the bottle of wine in her direction is askance but she shook her head, flicking him away with one hand.

Chuckling and feeling a whole lot better about the state of his blossoming relationship Nikola left, closing the door behind himself only to come face to face with Wolf Boy carrying an armful of brilliant red roses.

"She kicked your ass yet for not getting her a gift?" he asked with a grin and Nikola scowled. "Though I think the Doc's too nice to actually kick your ass, maybe she'll just make you sleep on the couch for a week or two."

"Leave. Now," Nikola ordered, fighting the urge to back hand the boy.

"Don't worry Vlad, I'm sure she'll like the handmade thing too," Henry called over his shoulder as he walked away. "She always used to love it when Ash and I gave her handmade macaroni frames."

Growling, Nikola stalked away, prepared to drink this and several other bottles of wine before their rendezvous this afternoon. It was going to be fine, he told himself, it was all going to be fine.

* * *

><p>"There you are," Helen's voice came floating towards him and Nikola looked up from the rose petal he'd been toying with in his lap. "I didn't think you'd have waited around for me."<p>

"I've waited for decades Helen," he replied with a grin. "Twenty minutes is hardly going to kill me."

She chuckled but took a seat beside him, giving him a quick peck in greeting.

"How was your day?" he began, once again feeling like a child, the six bottles of wine he'd managed to down having no effect on his slightly less than normal confidence levels.

"Fine," she said, giving him a quizzical look. "Are you alright Nikola? You seem a little... Troubled."

"It's nothing," he said with a smile, shifting closer to her on the seat. "I just..."

He looked down at where their knees were touching but, instead of coming up with a witty reply that alluded to getting into her bed he reached into his jacket pocket and presented her with his valentine.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he said softly, only just meeting her eye as he placed the paper in her hands.

She smiled broadly at him, leaning forward to capture his lips in a gentle, lingering kiss.

"I must say, I'm surprised," she said, pulling back. "Considering how much of our youth we spent criticising this very custom."

"It's not much," Nikola said, feeling his confidence return. Maybe she hadn't changed so completely.

Carefully she opened it, her lap being covered in confetti as she unfolded the heavy paper carefully. Smiling at him, she grabbed a few pieces of the pastel coloured papers on her lap and tossed them at him, giggling when they stuck to his suit. Nikola smiled but said nothing, his heart still beating a little too fast.

He watched her face carefully as she fingered the lace trimming he'd added before she began to mouth the words he'd written.

"I wrote you one like that when we were back at Oxford," he admitted after a moment. "Only I never got the chance to give it to you."

Helen turned to him, eyes shining as she held the letter to her chest.

"This is wonderful Niko," she breathed. "Thank you so much for this."

Nikola opened his mouth to speak but she silenced him with a heated kiss, taking his head in her hands as she shifted closer to him on the bench. Nikola caught up quickly deepening this kiss as his handed landed on her waist. For a moment there was nothing but the warmth of her lips but, soon enough he became aware of something beneath his hand that was a lot harder than it should be. Pulling back, he ignored her mewl of disappointment, instead running a hand up and down her side, raising an eyebrow.

Helen giggled, biting her swollen bottom lip as she leaned towards him.

"Whoops," she whispered taking his other hand and placing it on her breast. "You seem to have discovered your present."

Nikola's eyes widened as traced the bone of what he now recognised to be a corset beneath the shot satin fabric of her black dress. A dress, he realised quickly, that she wasn't wearing earlier. She'd gone to change for him.

"And if you're good," she continued, running a hand over his thigh. "I'll even let you use your claws to get rid of it."

He groaned, eyes falling shut as he let the hand on her breast drift lower to skim up and under her skirt. She chuckled throatily and kissed his neck softly but said nothing as he traced higher and higher until he reached the tops of her thigh high stockings.

"What happened to hating Valentine's Day?" he whispered.

"The modern expectations, while leaving much to be desired in comparison to your gift, do have a few elements that I wholeheartedly approve of."

"Is it the green one?" he asked quietly, his lips flirting with her ear.

She shook her head.

"Red then?"

Again, she shook her head.

Nikola pulled back and she chuckled once more.

"Wouldn't you rather just find out?" she asked with a grin that sent him into a spin. Before he could respond, she pulled away, folding up her valentine and collecting the confetti that still dotted her lap.

"Coming?" she asked, standing and holding a hand down to him.

In a second Nikola was on his feet, arm around her waist as he tugged her back towards the Sanctuary and away from the luscious gardens. She laughed at his reaction but allowed him to drag her back into the building and it wasn't until they were in the elevator that either of them spoke again.

Suddenly uncomfortable despite the warm body against his, Nikola cleared his throat, prompting Helen to shoot him a questioning look.

"Niko?"

He smiled down at her, kissing her cheek.

"I was just wondering," he began quietly, "if you'd have preferred a more traditional gift for today."

She raised her eyebrow at that, turning more fully in his embrace.

"What could be more traditional than the lines of verse you gave me?" she asked softly, her eyes softening as she traced the line of his cheekbone with her thumb.

"No, like flowers or jewellery or chocolates or something?" he elaborated uncertainly. "Or maybe a fancy dinner or should I have got you breakfast in bed or even, oh I don't know, offered to get you out of work today?"

Helen sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Firstly, I like flowers, preferably tulips or peonies but you bought me a bunch three days ago that still look lovely on my desk," she said, pecking him on the chin.

"Secondly, the day you voluntarily buy jewellery is the day pig's fly, not that I need any of course." She punctuated the statement with another kiss, this time to the side of his mouth.

"Fourthly, or did I skip one there?" she mused, a tiny crease appearing between her eyebrows before she shrugged and continued. "Either way, chocolates are nice but if you keep offering yourself to me as a human platter I'm not going to be able to fit into knickers you like so much."

She pressed her lips to his throat, tongue darting momentarily and making him shiver.

"Next was the concept of meals, yes? Well, I actually already have dinner planned for us so that would have been out of the question and breakfast in bed would have been impossible because you, much to my surprise were still sleeping like a baby when I managed to get out of bed this morning."

Kissing him squarely on the lips she tugged him backwards and out the now open doors of the elevator.

"There was one more thing, wasn't there?" she asked huskily as they stumbled towards the bedroom. "Something about you taking over the Sanctuary for the day but I have to tell you, not only will that never be happening Nikola but, if you were there, you wouldn't be _here_." On the last word she let her hand slip down over the front of her pants as he backed her into their door.

Growling in her ear, Nikola grabbed her by the waist, hauling her up until she could wrap her legs around his waist. Though their relationship was only new, she'd learnt early on that he loved to hold her like this, taking all her weight with his deceptively wiry frame. She'd learnt pretty quickly that she loved it too.

Lips fused, Nikola began to fumble with the door until it fell away behind her and the stumbled through, her legs still around his waist. Kicking the door shut behind him, Nikola strode to the bed, dropping Helen on it as he attacked his vest. She smiled up at him, reclining on her elbows as she watched.

"Get naked Helen," he growled, tossing his dress shirt to the side but she simply chuckled, shaking her head.

"Come here," she instructed, her voice low and sultry as she extended a hand to him. Nikola stilled at the look in her eye and she clucked at him. "This is meant to be your gift Nikola," she said softly. "Let me look after you."

Swallowing heavily, he moved forwards, sliding up next to her on the bed. Stroking his cheek, Helen sat up, shifting to present her back. Swinging her hair over a shoulder gave him a small smile, encouraging him to pull down the small zip that ran the length of her back. She let out a small chuckle when he used his abilities to do it but didn't protest when his hands came up to her shoulders to push the rest of the dress down her arms to allow him a better look at the tight corset she was wearing.

Running his hands down the pale expanse of her back, Nikola nearly groaned aloud upon realising why the fabric of her dress was so thick and cumbersome. Under such a dress, the fine leather corset that she wore was barely noticeable, only the cinched waist hinting at what she was truly up to.

"Do you like it?" she asked as he traced the very edge before she shuffled off the bed, allowing her dress to drop to the ground as she stood. As the fabric fell away, Nikola realised he was holding his breath. Looking over her shoulder, she gave him a tiny smile before pushing the dress from her hips, bending over as she did so to give him a perfect view of the black satin stretched across her backside.

When the dress was finally on the ground she straightened and turned around, making Nikola's eyes bulge. The entire ensemble was mouth watering, from the four inch patent leather pumps to the thigh high stockings he'd discovered earlier but he couldn't tear his gaze from the corset, clearly impractical in contrast to the contraptions they'd grown up around but it didn't lessen the impact. The black leather was tight, caressing her curves rather firmly before bolstering her already generous chest that, as she chuckled throatily at him jiggled in the most enticing manner.

"Here," he croaked out, the instruction far less forceful than he'd intended but she followed it none the less, crawling towards him with a sultry grin. When finally she was draped across him, pelvis resting solidly just above where he wanted her the most, she sigh.

"Nikola," she breathed, rolling her eyes. "Are you going to keep up with this heavy breathing thing or actually help me out of this blasted thing?"

In a second Nikola pounced, rolling them until he had her pinned and writhing beneath him while his lips attacked the smooth column of her neck. Her legs flew up to cradle his hips and he couldn't help but grind against her silk covered heat, rejoicing in the whimper of pleasure it drew from her. As much as he enjoyed her guttural groans, a whimpering Helen Magnus, it seemed, could have him do pretty much anything.

Grinning against her now reddened flesh, he moved to the tops of her breasts, licking and nibbling as she continued to shudder beneath him, his name falling from her lips on occasion. Her hips began to thrust up wildly against him, threatening to undo his self control so he moved one hand down, holding her steady but accidentally releasing her hand. Taking control, she slid her hand down between them, caressing the already prominent bulge in is pants. At the first touch of her fingers he slumped into her, focusing so hard on regaining control that it wasn't until she was straddling him that he realised anything had changed.

Quickly she tugged him towards the headboard, retrieving the silk scarves from the bedside table and securing him before he could even think to protest.

"Helen," he all but whined, thrust upwards as her chest remained tantalizingly out of reach.

"Deep breath," she cooed, stroking his cheek before leaning into give him a lazy kiss. He fought the bonds and, while he knew he could break them if he truly wished, he knew that she knew that he wouldn't, not quite yet.

She continued to squirm in his lap as she kissed him, hands tracing his bare chest until he was so worked up; Nikola thought he might just die if she didn't amp it up a little.

"Please," he growled as she twisted her hips once more and, with a tiny smirk, she slipped off his lap, shuffling towards the end of the bed so she could first remove her shoes. Placing them to the side, she then started on her stockings, rolling them down slowly as she rested on her back, leg cocked in the air. With a cheeky grin she rolled over and tossed the silken scraps at him, impairing his sight only momentarily but, by the time he could see her again, she was gone, only a pair of black knickers lying on the cream coverlet left in her place.

"Helen? Please," he called. "No more teasing, I want you."

He heard her giggle from somewhere beside the bed but, without breaking the scarves around his wrists he couldn't see her.

"If you insist," she replied with a sigh, head poking over the edge. "Now, corset on or off?"

"Off," he ordered as she grinned. "No more games."

Her smile faded quickly and she stood, dropping something to the ground with a thud but Nikola paid it no attention, completely focused on the way she scrambled towards him, hands ripping at his pants and tugging them mercilessly down until one warm hand wrapped around his erection, stroking him harshly for a moment before she straddled him and sank down, groaning in pleasure and head thrown back.

Through slitted eyes, Nikola watched as she fumbled with the strange clasps of her corset, fingers trembling. Briefly he considered taking up her earlier suggestion of using his talons but soon enough the leather fell away and she sighed before kissing him harshly.

Slowly she began to move on top of him, just small rotations of her hips as her breasts rubbed against his chest. Part of him wanted to hold her, to kiss and caress each of the indentations the corset had left but as she picked up the pace, his mind went black, entire being focused only the pleasure she brought him. Nikola let his head fall back with a groan, eyes fluttering shut as Helen began to pant softly, arms around his neck. He could tell, even without looking she was biting her lip to try and stifle her moans but it wasn't working, each delicious little noise making Nikola's hips surge up into her, making her gasp.

It wasn't until she removed one arm from his neck that he opened his eyes, groaning as he watched her tweak her own nipple roughly. Then she took back her other arm, snaking her hands down to where their bodies were joined and that was it, he couldn't take it anymore.

With a growl, he surged forwards, the silk on his wrists falling away as if they hadn't even been there, allowing him to grab her by the waist, haul her off of him and toss her to the bed. With claws he shredded the pants around his thighs, caring little for expensive merino blend before he was upon her once more, lips seeking out hers as he thrust back into her, making her arch.

His hands traced her sides, feeling the indentations of the corset before travelling up to rub a thumb across her nipple. She gasped at the action, her body moving frantically beneath him as he desperately tried to keep from blowing. The pace was hectic, his hand flying about as she wrapped her legs around his waist, allowing him to thrust deeper into her. He could feel the sweat on her body mingling with his own, his tongue dipping out to taste it on her collar bone.

Now she was practically crying, his name flying from her lips as she clung to him and, just when he thought he could hold back no longer, he felt the sweet pressure of her body clamping down on his and he lost it, thrusting harder and faster as his nails tore the coverlet by her sides to shreds. She was crying out too, her nails leaving bright red streaks down his back, holding him close as she rode out her orgasm.

Finally, what could have been hours later, Nikola had the presence of mind to roll to the side, allowing her to breath but she followed him, coming to a stop with her head on his chest. She snuggled into him and he pulled her closer, his body satisfied for now. With this woman, he doubted if he'd ever get enough.

"There's whipped cream down beside the bed," Helen panted after a moment, waving vaguely in the direction she wanted him to look. "Be a dear would you? I don't think I'll be able to walk for a week." Nikola raised an eyebrow but said nothing and Helen giggled.

"What?" she asked, giving him a mischievous grin, "I said I had dinner planned for us, didn't I?"


End file.
